How to keep favorite data views close at hand

What data can't you live without? Actual sales versus budget, stock on hand, low margin against products? Phocas allows you to save a number of favourite data views so factual decision-making is easy.

Create a favorite

Storing data views is a great feature of Phocas and is referred to as favorites. To save a favorite, simply access the view you want to save. For example, in the video below we have picked products that have a negative variance.

To save this view, click the star in the top righthand corner, give the favorite a name and a description and choose a time period, such as Year to Date. You can also share this favorite with one or many in your team. To access that favorite tomorrow or during a meeting, go to the home screen, click on the Phocas logo and find the favorite saved here.

Update a favorite

Now that you know how to save a favorite, you may want to update it. To do this, go to favorites and find the data view you want to change. In this example we have selected the ‘key product subclass report’ favourite.

Perhaps you want to make some changes to the ten products currently selected. To do this click on the arrow in the top lefthand corner of the grid which highlights all the products, then click the x in the product sub class which clears the selection and allows you to add more products or take some away. Once you have completed the changes, you click the focus button, then the favorite star and resave.

Create a low margin alert

You can also make a favorite an alert. In this example we create a low margin report against products.

To do this, click on advanced search and pick a criterion for measure. In the video we have selected the ‘measure’ to be ‘local margin %’ and the ‘period' to be ‘rolling 12 months’. We have set the margin to be less than 15%. We then add another rule, we select the ‘measure’ as ‘local value’ and the period is the same, ‘rolling 12 months’.

This alert has been set for all products over $50,000 with a margin of less than 15%. We apply the rule and find 50 products that fit this alert.

To save as an alert, we turn into a chart. We then save as a favorite using the star button and find “low margin alert” on the home screen.

Understanding your data is powerful. With real-time access to the exact data you need, you make the best strategic, tactical, and operational decisions.